I'm Just Faith
by StarrySky0103
Summary: Faith Conrad was a girl that never stood out. She wasn't popular nor was she unpopular. She wasn't beautiful nor was she ugly. She wasn't smart nor was she stupid. She was just… Faith. But when she does something radical and manages to catch a certain corporal's eye, everything started to change. LEVI/OC
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan.**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: *frantically raises hands* I'm so sorry! I know I have like a million other stories I need to get to, but please don't kill me for posting a new one! It's just that when I get a new idea, I feel like I have to write and post it to hear other people's opinions. Sorry, I'll try to get to the other ones also! Well, I hope you guys enjoy this story!**

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**"****Pain**** makes you ****stronger.**

**Tears**** make you ****braver.**

**Heartbreak**** makes you ****wiser.**

**Thank the PAST for a BETTER FUTURE."**

**-Anonymous**

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**PROLOGUE: WHERE THE FIRST TEAR FALLS**

_I ran. Faster than I've ever run before. I lost my horse. I lost my squad. I lost my 3D Maneuver Gear. _

**_I HAD NOTHING._**

_ I don't know what to do. I don't want to die. I can't die. I swore to take down all the Titans. I can't just give that up. I can't die. I'm scared. I'm in Titan's territory and I have nothing to defend myself with except for one measly sword. I can't even kill a Titan with only one sword. But I kept it with me. Just to make me feel better. _

_ I ran. I ran and ran and continued to run. I had to get back to the walls or find others of the Survey Corps. Or I would die with no one to watch over me in my final hour. I sprinted into the forest. I dodged the large trees and frantically looked around. Desperate to find someone. Anyone. My breathing was labored and I knew that I wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer. But I had to. If I wanted to live, I had to. As I ran around a tree, I froze. There, in front of me, stood an eight-meter Titan. Then I did the thing that I had been doing for what seemed like forever._

_ I ran. I knew in my head that I wouldn't make it; a human's speed is no match for a Titan's. But my heart refused to believe it._

_ I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. _

**_I'M GOING TO DIE._**

_The words echoed through my head like a mantra and I couldn't get it to stop. Tears streamed down my face and my visions blurred. While my sight was temporarily blocked, I ran straight into a tree. I groaned in pain and quickly turned around to continue my escape… But when I turned, I was face-to-face with the Titan. I gasped and tried to jump back, but couldn't. I was trapped between the tree and the Titan._

_ "Oh my God. Oh my God. No, get away from me!" I screamed, but my efforts were futile. The Titan just grinned and his hand reached out towards me. Images flashed through my mind. _

_My family. My friends. My comrades._

_ I was the girl that was just there. I wasn't popular nor was I unpopular. I wasn't beautiful nor was I ugly. I wasn't smart nor was I stupid. I was just… Faith. Everyone knew I was there and at the same time, no one knew I was there. And now, on my death bed, I regretted it all._

_ I regretted not being closer to my family. I regretted not interacting a lot with my friends. I regretted not always being there for my comrades. _

_ I was going to die with a life full of regrets. What a pitiful death. I clenched my fists. No… I won't die… I can't die! I'll live! I won't allow myself to die with all these disgraceful regrets! _

_With a yell, I jumped up and grabbed onto the branch above my head and swung onto it. The Titan's large hand reached up. I jumped onto another branch and ran across it. The Titan followed. It only gave me a second to spare, but a second was all I needed. With all my strength, I slammed my sword against another branch and it snapped in two. I grinned. Perfect._

_I had to be careful with the second sword that rested in my left hand since there was no hilt to protect the sword from piercing my flesh._

_I turned to face the Titan that was approaching the branch I stood on. I took a deep breath. I had to get this right. The timing has to be perfect or I'll die, once and for all. Three… Two…_

_"…One!" I screamed and hopped down from my branch. I kicked myself off the tree trunk as I fell and I saw it. I was right at the Titan's neck. I gripped tightly onto the blades and my left hand bled as it cut deep into it. "I WILL FIGHT FOR HUMANITY! WE WILL NOT LOSE TO YOU! HUMANS WILL TRIUMPH OVER THE TITANS AND I WILL BE THERE, IN THE FLESH, TO WITNESS IT! I WILL NOT DIE AT THE HANDS OF YOU FLITHY BEASTS!" I declared and slashed the neck. 1 meter long and 10 centimeters wide. It was a perfect cut. _

_I crashed into the ground and groaned as I felt a few bones crack. But I smiled through the pain. I had done it. I had killed the Titan and lived. I laughed for a second. Then my eyes widened. A 12-meter Titan towered over me. I shot up. "Shit!" I cursed and struggled to get up. Its hand wrapped around my waist and lifted me. "Damn it! Let me down!" I kicked and punched and squirmed, but the Titan didn't loosen its grip. It slowly opened its jaw and moved its hand forward. I closed my eyes. This was it. This was really the end. _

_I then heard a yelp of pain and, surprisingly, it came, not from me, but the Titan. My eyes opened and blood splattered on my face. The hand released me and I felt myself fall down. I gritted my teeth. Even if the Titan didn't eat me, the injuries that I acquired from earlier and the height of this fall would be enough to kill me. Then I felt arms-normal, human-sized arms, thank goodness- grab my waist. I looked up and my azure eyes met with stony, grey ones. I gasped. This person was…_

_"Corporal Levi!" I exclaimed as his feet finally hit the ground. I was still above ground level for I was being carried bridal-style in my corporal's arms, which, for your information, was extremely embarrassing. "W-why are y-?"_

_"This was our return route. We were bound to meet with you. I was just trailing ahead in search of Titans when I found you," he exclaimed stoically._

_"O-oh…" I said dumbly. "Corporal, you can put me down now. I'm fi-"_

_"I refuse," he shot down bluntly and proceeded to walk back, presumably to where the others were._

_"EH?!"_

_"You have multiple broken bones, cuts, bruises, and most likely exhaustion from running here. The last time we saw you was three hours ago. You're in no shape to be walking. It's surprising that you made it this far and got here before us." I felt dizzy. Three hours? I ran for three hours? "Oi, I found someone."_

_"Faith!" I heard a familiar voice exclaim. I think it was… Hanji? "Where did you find her?"_

_"She was killing a Titan," he answered._

_"Huh? But she doesn't have a 3D Maneuver Gear, so how could she hav-"_

_"We'll talk about this later, Shitty-Glasses," he cut off rudely. "We need to hurry and get treatment for her."_

_"Where should we put her? We don't have any more horses and the carts for the casualties are full! We were hoping that no one else would be harmed. I guess we can squeeze her in…"_

_"She can ride with me," Levi said._

_"What? Really?" Hanji asked. He ignored her and gently sat me on his horse before getting on himself._

_"Corporal… Thank you so much…" He saved my life. I would be eternally grateful to him. _

_"It's normal for people to save their comrades, Conrad." I was shocked. He knew my name? Hanji had mentioned my first name, but never my surname. I wasn't unpopular, but I never imagined for someone as high in rank as Levi to know my name. Then… he said the words that would change my life forever… "That was one of the bravest and most inspirational things I've ever seen, Conrad." My eyes were half-lidded and I felt drowsy. But I hung on to his every word. I had been acknowledged. Someone finally acknowledged me as someone worthy of his attention._

**_CORPORAL LEVI ACKNOWLEGDED MY EXISTENCE._**

_I smiled as a tear fell from my right eye. "Oi, why are you crying?" he asked. He didn't sound worried, actually, he seemed quite disturbed._

_"Did you know, Corporal Levi? When a tear falls from your left eye, it signals tears of sadness… but when a tear… falls from your right eye… they're… tears… of joy…" I trailed off and felt the sleep slowly take over. "Thank you… Corporal Levi… for… acknowledging me…"_

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: How was it? I actually really enjoyed writing this! If you liked it, FOLLOW, FAVORITE, and REVIEW! I really hope you guys don't think Levi was OOC because honestly, I believe that while Levi can be extremely blunt and rude, he is not the type of person that would ignore someone's obvious bravery. I got the idea for this when I watched episode 3.5 of Shingeki no Kyojin, Ilse's Notebook. I had no idea there was an episode for that and when I watched it, came up with this. That's why the situation was practically the same. **

**Well, until the next chapter! Bye!**

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**Preview for next chapter:**

_ "The wall surrounding Shiganshina has been breached!"_

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_ My heart momentarily stopped as I caught sight of something red. Red hair… The same red hair as mine. I shakily got off my horse and approached it, my entire body trembling. I squatted down and reached my hand out. Then I flipped the body over. A scream rang out so loudly that it hurt my ears. It took a second to realize that it came from me._

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_"Are you going to quit the Survey Corps now?"_

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_"Oh shit. I just tackled my OCD superior officer on the filthy ground and wailed into his shirt for an hour. Shit, shit, shit, shit!" I cursed._


	2. Chapter 1: The Titans' Attack

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan.**

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**"You can't go anywhere**

**If you resign yourself to being attacked."**

**-Haruki Murakami**

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**CHAPTER 1: THE TITANS' ATTACK**

**THREE YEARS LATER, YEAR 845**

"…And that's what happened," I repeated for what seemed like the millionth time to Hanji. The Survey Corps were returning from our expedition and Hanji had begged me to tell her the story again. The first time she had asked me to tell her the story, tears fell from my eyes at the memory, but now I could tell the story with a proud, nostalgic smile.

"Tch. Don't make her repeat it so many times," a deep voice spoke. We turned to our right. I smiled at the sight of my corporal. He had sort of taken me under his wing since the incident. He had become my savior and my mentor.

"It's fine," I assured him. "It doesn't bother me anymore." After my near-death experience, I had decided that I never wanted any regrets… Or I wanted as few regrets as possible. I know that there are some regrets that I will never be able to get rid of, like not being able to save some of my comrades, but I learned that I should live life to the fullest… because I never know if today is my last day. "Oh, look. There's the wall!" I furrowed my eyebrows. My grip on the reins tightened. "Levi," I called. I couldn't help but feel proud as I was allowed to call him so familiarly-something only his close comrades could do- even as a dark sense of foreboding filled me. "…Something's wrong," I told him. His reply was short, but it made my blood run cold.

"…I know." Our light air was crushed as our postures tensed. We didn't know what was wrong… but we knew it wasn't good. As we got closer to the wall, I gasped. "No way…" A gaping hole was in the wall. "The wall surrounding Shiganshina has been breached!" I hollered to the squads in the back. I heard gasps, screams, and wails from everyone. I wasn't surprised. Some our friends and family resided there. And just the idea of Titans breaking in was enough to make anyone cry.

"Keep an eye out for survivors! We will head towards Wall Maria!" Commander Erwin exclaimed. I took a deep breath. Hopefully, Wall Maria hasn't been breached…

We all braced ourselves as we cautiously entered the walls. "Look out for Titans! This area is now Titan territory! It's no different than if we were outside the walls!" I yelled.

"You've become quite the leader, haven't you?" Levi said. I smiled grimly. If he had said that in more normal circumstances, I don't doubt for a second that I would have blushed.

"…Yeah." I gritted my teeth as I heard my comrades' shouts and cries of agony when they came upon someone they knew. My eyes darted around frantically. "Please don't be here… Please don't be here… Please don't be here," I muttered subconsciously under my breath. My heart momentarily stopped as I caught sight of something red. Red hair… The same red hair as mine. I shakily got off my horse and approached it, my entire body trembling. I squatted down and reached my hand out. Then I flipped the body over. A scream rang out so loudly that it hurt my ears. It took a second to realize that it came from me. Tears welled up in my eyes as I dropped to my knees. "Oh, Hope… Oh my God… No, please." The girl that laid in front of me… was my little sister, Hope.

"Oi, Faith!" I heard a familiar voice call out. I was confused. Levi usually had such a calm and sure voice… but right now, he sounded panicked, even scared. I froze as I felt a presence behind me. I slowly turned around, feeling dread creep upon me. An eight-meter Titan stood in front of me. I heard Levi curse and quickly head towards me. I knew he wouldn't make it in time. I had strayed far from the group in my unfocused state. But what came over me was not fright… but anger. I clenched my fists. This scene was so achingly familiar. It was the same scene three years ago… before Levi had come to save me. I was furious. Was I still the weak, unnoticed girl from back then? Had I not learned anything in the last three years? I narrowed my eyes. No… this isn't the same scene. Back then, I had no horse, no 3DMG, no squad and only one sword. Now, I have all of those and the two swords required to kill a Titan.

And most importantly… I had Levi's guidance.

_"Even if your cuts are strong and accurate, there's no point in trying to kill Titans if you're not fast enough to dodge them." _

His voice echoed through my ears. I grabbed the swords and gripped them tightly. I latched the hook of my 3DMG onto the Titan's shoulder.

_"Don't hesitate to move fast. Speed is one of the most important things for killing them." _Then… I flew. My hair flew back as I swung towards the Titan.

_"You have a small stature, so it should be easy to learn how to control your speed." _Its neck was right in front of me. I readied my swords. I was not the same person I was three years ago.

_"One way to do that is to push yourself forward." _I leaned forward and felt myself fall faster, gravity pulling me down.

_"Then… you slice." _I let out a yell and made a perfect cut. The Titan fell with a groan. I panted. Yes… I'm different from back then.

**_I am strong._**

"Nice job," Levi praised. I smiled. I've changed.

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I was sprawled out on the training grounds as I pondered about everything that had happened. The Titans have breached Wall Maria. Refugees had entered Wall Rose, causing a food shortage. It was awful. My mind then thought back to earlier. Hope…

"Oi, what are you doing out here at this time?" I looked up and found Levi towering over me as he stood.

"Just thinking."

"About?"

"Nothing important."

"If it's nothing important, then why are you crying?" At his question, my hands raised to my cheeks and there were indeed tears dripping from my eyes.

"Huh? Why am I… crying?" I wiped at my eyes with the sleeve of my shirt, but the tears wouldn't stop. I heard Levi sigh and reluctantly sit in the spot next to me. I was surprised. He would never get dirty if he could help it, but he had just willingly sat on this filthy-as he would call it- training ground. "Why are yo-" A hand fell on my head. I stared with wide eyes. My corporal looked highly uncomfortable, which didn't surprise me. I'm sure he wasn't used to comforting people, especially crying girls.

"…I'm guessing you were upset about your sister." Levi had met my sister about a few months after we had met. I was silent for a few seconds before answering.

"She was all I had left. My parents died when we were young and that's why I joined the military in the first place. I had sent her to a nearby orphanage to become a soldier. I had planned to join the Military Police… but didn't. I got into the top 10. I could've joined… but I didn't want to. I knew people died because of those Titans… and should they ever break in… I wanted to be strong enough to protect my sister. I joined the Survey Corps and became the strong person I had always aspired to be… thanks to you. But when the Titans broke in… The one time I needed to be there for her… I wasn't… And because of that she died!" I knew that Levi had known all of this before, but he listened patiently. When I finished, he spoke.

"Are you going to quit the Survey Corps now?"

"Huh?" I was taken aback.

"You joined because of you wanted to protect your sister. But now your reason is gone… So will you quit?"

"…No. Initially, I had joined because of Hope, but now, I know that it wasn't just her I wanted to protect… I want to protect humanity. I will continue to fight and I will be here when we finally defeat the Titans." He smirked.

"How touching." But his smirk fell as he noticed my tears. "You're still crying?"

"I'm sorry… I just… I miss her so much!" I jumped onto Levi and we both fell to the ground.

"What the hell?!" He shut up when he heard me sob into his shirt. He waited for a moment before sighing. He hesitantly wrapped an arm around my waist and placed his other hand on the back of the head. "…Don't say such an inspiring line like that then start sobbing onto my shirt like a baby," he growled, but not for one second… did his grip on me ever loosen.

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When I woke up the next day, I panicked. "Oh shit. I just tackled my OCD superior officer on the filthy ground and wailed into his shirt for an hour. Shit, shit, shit, shit!" I cursed.

I nervously entered Levi's office. He was bent over his desk, doing what looked like paperwork. He looked up. "What do you want?" I bowed low.

"I'm so sorry for last night! I wasn't thinking and I got your clothes all dirty! It was a disgraceful sight and I apologize!"

"…" The silence killed me. Then he spoke. "…If you want to make it up to me, make me a cup of coffee," he negotiated. I stood straight and gave him a bright smile.

"Yes, sir!" And I didn't miss the almost unnoticeable twitch of his lips.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Did you guys enjoy this chapter? If you did FOLLOW, FAVORITE, and REVIEW! Also, I put up a poll on my profile. **

**The question is "Which one of my stories do you want me to focus on the most?" It doesn't necessarily mean that I'll immediately go to that one and update, but I'll try to work on those a little bit more. So if there's a story you want me to update, go to the poll and vote! But I didn't include Revenge is A Dish Best Served, Dreams of Despair, or My Small World. That is because I'm not sure I want to continue Revenge is A Dish Best Served, I don't really want to write about Dangan Ronpa right now, and I think I may put My Small World through a rewrite. The main plot will probably be the same, but I didn't really like my writing from back then, so I thought maybe I should fix it a little. **

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**And here's a preview for the next chapter!**

_"You!" The soldier was about to kick him again. His foot came down, but before it could hit him, I grabbed the soldier's leg tightly in my hand. "Hey, what are y-?!" He stopped mid-sentence and paled when he saw my face. "M-Ms. Conrad!" I threw the soldier's foot to the side and stood up, making sure my glare pierced through him._

_"You're a soldier. Your job is to protect civilians that need our help. Not make selfish, bratty complaints and hurt children. Who the fucking hell do you think you are?"_

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_"Well, Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert. My name is Faith Conrad and I'll be there waiting for you when you guys join the Survey Corps."_

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_"I should know the name of the piece of shit that hurt you, who is superior to him."_

_"I'm not superior to anyone."_

_"I. Want. His. Name."_

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**Well, until the next chapter, bye!**


	3. Chapter 2: What Humanity Needs

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Shingeki no Kyojin.**

**CHAPTER 2: WHAT HUMANITY NEEDS**

I wandered around the refugee areas in Wall Rose and frowned to myself as I watched people fight over the little food that we had for them. "Eren! Mikasa!" I turned to see a blond boy run towards two other kids his age, his hands full with three small loafs of bread. His companions were a brunette boy with stunning green eyes and a pretty girl with long, ebony hair. "Look, I made it in time! My grandpa got extra when he told them he had kids to feed." He handed one to each of them. I smiled. What a cute bunch. I narrowed my eyes when I saw a soldier from the Garrison glare at the kids.

"What's his problem?" I heard the brunette ask. The blond answered.

"It's this situation. There's probably not enough food for everyone. This is a day's rations. There were too many refugees. They were already undergoing a food shortage and there's the usual prejudice against people from border towns." I looked at the boy with interest. He was smart, I'll give him that.

"Why do we have to give _our _food to outsiders?" I whipped my head around to find the Garrison soldier from earlier talking to one of his friends. "If the Titans were going to break in, they should've done us a favor and ate a few more of these guys." I saw red. I was about to approach them when someone beat me to the punch. It was the brunette. He kicked the soldier in the leg.

"Ow! What the hell are you doing, you piece of shit?!" He punched the kid in the face while his friend kicked him down on the concrete.

"You don't get it!" he yelled. "You've never seen it! The way the Titans devour us!"

"Why you-"

"I'm sorry!" the blond apologized. "He's irritated because he's hungry. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so rude to an adult. We're so sorry!" The soldier saw the stares he was getting and scoffed.

"It's because of us that you're not starving! You should be grateful!"

"Yes!"

"Why should we be grateful to scumbags like you?!" the brunette's angry voice exclaimed.

"You!" The soldier was about to kick him again. His foot came down, but before it could hit him, I grabbed the soldier's leg tightly in my hand. "Hey, what are y-?!" He stopped mid-sentence and paled when he saw my face. "M-Ms. Conrad!" I threw the soldier's foot to the side and stood up, making sure my glare pierced through him.

"You're a soldier. Your job is to protect civilians that need our help. Not make selfish, bratty complaints and hurt children. Who the fucking hell do you think you are?"

"I-I'm sorry! Please don't tell Corporal Levi about this!"

"If you don't want me to tell Levi, then get out of my sight," I hissed. He quickly scampered away with his tail in between his legs, his friend running after him. I turned to the three kids. "Are you guys alright?" I asked kindly. "Are you hurt?" I reached out a hand towards the brunette, but had my hand slapped away. I blinked as the back of my hand turned red. The kid was pretty strong despite his scrawny-looking arms.

"Eren!" the blond shouted. Eren, I believe, stood up and ran away. The blond and the other girl bowed low. "I'm so sorry! All you've done is help us and he…" I smiled.

"It's alright. He must be scared and stressed after everything that has happened. Go after him." The two hesitated before nodding.

"Thank you," the girl said softly.

"Anytime."

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Imagine my surprise when I met the trio once again not too long after. "I'm not like those wall-sheltered pigs who pretend to be tough! I don't need this piece of shit!" Eren's voice screamed. I saw him throw the bread at his blond friend who frantically caught the precious food before it could hit the ground.

"Eren! You'll starve!"

"Aren't you frustrated?! We can't beat the Titans if we live on charity!"

"We can't beat them! It's impossible! We have no choice but to say inside the walls! Stupidity and recklessness will get us killed! Just like my parents were!"

"Is that why you grovel in front of them?! Aren't you ashamed?!"

"For now, there's nothing we can do!"

"That's a weakling's excuse! If that's what you think, then you can be their livestock forever! You coward!" That was when the girl moved. She ran forward and punched the boy in the face.

"Mikasa…"

"If Armin's a coward, so are you and I. Whether it's running from the Titans or escaping our town, we haven't done a single thing by ourselves. Even our food today came from someone else's hands. Powerless people like us can't hope to beat a single Titan. The most important thing is to survive, like your mom said." She took the bread from Armin's hands and shoved it into Eren's mouth. "Eat it. I won't let you starve to death." I sighed then decided to reveal myself.

"You three are really something." They turned.

"You're… the lady from earlier!" I raised my hand in greeting. I then squatted down next to the brunette.

"You guys are brave. But you guys did say some wrong things."

"Huh?"

"I understand that you're frustrated, but it's not good to take it out on your friends." I then turned to Armin. "And you. Don't ever think that it's impossible to defeat the Titans. You're never officially defeated until you lose hope. The moment you admit defeat is the moment you lose. Remember that." I smirked at the girl, Mikasa, I think they said. "You better keep these guys in line. Males will do whatever it takes to protect their pride." She gave me a small smile. Eren looked down.

"I'm sorry for hitting you." I raised my swollen hand. "What, this? It's nothing. Doesn't even hurt." I saw his eyes shift again. I followed his gaze and saw that he was staring at the emblem on my jacket. The Wings of Freedom. His eyes were wide in admiration.

"You're part of the Survey Corps?" he inquired excitedly. I nodded.

"You like our branch?" I asked, surprise evident on my features.

"Like? You guys are awesome! You're obviously the true heroes! I want to join when I'm older!" I blinked then laughed loudly. I ruffled the boy's hair.

"You guys are just the cutest things! What's your names?"

"Eren Jaeger."

"Mikasa Ackerman."

"Armin Arlert."

"Well, Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert. My name is Faith Conrad and I'll be there waiting for you when you guys join the Survey Corps."

"Mikasa and I never said anything about joining," Armin pointed out, confused. I smiled knowingly.

"Instinct. You may not want to join now, but I have a feeling that you guys are just the things that humanity needs." I gave Eren and Armin a kiss on the cheek, to which they responded with a blush. I then gave Mikasa a hug and straightened. I lazily waved my hand as I began to walk away, my back facing them.

"Did you hear that?! Faith Conrad! What a cool name!" I stifled a giggle as I heard Eren yell. Really, they were just too cute.

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"Faith," Levi called. I turned.

"What's wrong?"

"Where were you today?"

"I went out to see what was happening with the refugees. Met some interesting kids. I think we'll be getting some great cadets in a couple years."

"Are those 'kids' the one that did that to your hand?"

"Huh?" He pointed at my bandaged hand. I rolled my eyes.

"Calm down. It was an accident. The boy was upset and I talked to him at the wrong time. He just slapped my hand away, that's all."

"Name?" he growled.

"What?"

"I want his name," he repeated slowly as if I couldn't comprehend what he was saying.

"I heard you the first time! Why?!"

"I should know the name of the piece of shit that hurt you, who is superior to him."

"I'm not superior to anyone."

"I. Want. His. Name." I flinched. Don't look at the eyes. Don't look at the eyes. I dared to glance at him to find blue eyes glaring. I was done for.

"…Eren Jaeger," I answered, defeated. He nodded, satisfied with the outcome of things. "Stupid, stubborn, midget corporal," I mumbled under my breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" I answered.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Faith has met the special trio! I know there wasn't a lot of Levi in this one, but I hoped you liked it! If you did, FOLLOW, FAVORITE, and REVIEW!**

**Preview:**

_ "Faith." I froze. Levi grabbed my arm and slowly sat me on the chair next to him. "Calm down. You're acting disgraceful." I clenched my fists. _

_ "But they-!" _

_ "Enough. What's done is done. They have already made the final decision. We can't change it."_

_ "Since when have you gotten so weak?!" I screamed. The room turned silent. "Since when have you been the type of person who lets them do whatever the hell they want?!"_

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_"Oh my God…" I whispered. "It's so cruel. _Their_ so cruel…"_


	4. Chapter 3: Humanity's New Hope

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan.**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's short, but I hope you enjoy it!**

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**"When the world says, 'Give up,'**

**Hope whispers, 'Try it one more time.'"**

**-Anonymous**

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**CHAPTER 3: HUMANITY'S NEW HOPE**

**1 YEAR LATER, 846**

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Hanji had to hold me back as I tried to lunge at the man in front of me.

"We have no choice," the man from the Military Police-whose name I had no desire to know- said. "The fall of Wall Maria has caused a major food shortage."

"But who gave you the damn right to try and send the refugees outside the walls?!" They had just told me that they were planning on sending some of the refugees out to regain our land, which I knew was just a cover-up. They just wanted to get rid of them, so they could lessen the food shortage.

"Please refrain from making a scene, Ms. Conrad."

"You basta-!"

"Faith." I froze. Levi grabbed my arm and slowly sat me on the chair next to him. "Calm down. You're acting disgraceful." I clenched my fists.

"But they-!"

"Enough. What's done is done. They have already made the final decision. We can't change it."

"Since when have you gotten so weak?!" I screamed. The room turned silent. "Since when have you been the type of person who lets them do whatever the hell they want?!" When I didn't receive an answer, I stood and ran out of the room.

* * *

"Oi, I'm coming in." Levi entered my room as I sat on my bed. My knees were pulled up to my chest and my eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"Go away." He glared.

"You're being childish."

"I don't care." The room was silent for a second before I heard him sigh.

"…I don't like it either," he said quietly.

"Then why do you let them do it?!"

"I have no choice. It's already been approved. No matter what I say, they won't stop now." He saw me grip tightly on my knees. "…I'm sorry." My eyes widened. Those two words seemed to echo in my mind. My bottom lip trembled.

"No… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for accusing you of not trying to do anything when I knew that you had tried to stop them too. I'm sorry that I took my anger out on you when you didn't deserve it. I'm sorry for making you come here and apologize when it wasn't your fault in the first place… It's just… It's so unfair," I managed to choke out. "They had survived through hell last year and they're being thrown right back into it. It's a suicide mission… and they can't say anything about it… It's awful."

"…I know." He didn't pat me on the head. He didn't embrace me as he did when my sister died. He didn't coo encouraging words in my ear… Because I didn't need them. His presence was enough. And we just stayed there in silence. Neither of us daring to utter another word.

* * *

**_Under the pretext of recapturing Wall Maria, the Central Government sent a large number of refugees into battle. That number: two hundred and fifty thousand. It was 20% of mankind's population, but fewer than two hundred people survived. Their sacrifice alleviated the food shortage, if only slightly._**

* * *

Levi and I watched solemnly as the surviving refugees returned to within the walls. I let out a shaky breath as I looked at them. Their clothes were tattered, they had bags under their eyes signaling their lack of sleep, and blood was splattered onto them and dried as if it was a second skin. It was awful.

But something stood out the most. Their hollow eyes. They looked as if there was no meaning to their life anymore. It was mortifying. I turned and blinked when I saw a blond boy, Armin Arlert if I recalled correctly, and his two friends searching for someone. In Armin's hand was a hat that was certainly much too big to belong to him. My heart broke as tears sprung to the little boy's eyes when he couldn't find who he was looking for.

"Grandpa?!" I heard him call desperately and I took a sharp intake of breath.

"Oh my God…" I whispered. "It's so cruel. _They're _so cruel…"

"Armin…" Eren's wary voice reached my ears. "…I think he's gone…" I quickly grabbed onto Levi's hand, surprising him as Armin dropped to his knees. Sobs wracked his body and it took everything I had to not run over to him. I couldn't get involved. I had no right to get involved. I gripped onto my corporal's hand so tightly that I wouldn't be surprised if I was cutting off his blood circulation. He didn't say anything, but having him simply squeeze my hand was enough.

* * *

"We will begin the entrance ceremony for the 104th Cadet Corps! My name is Keith Shadis and I will, unfortunately, be your instructor. For the next three years, I will pound Titan fighting abilities into you and change you from Titan bait into glorious soldiers of mankind!"

Levi and I watched the new cadets from afar. "They are humanity's new hope. I have a good feeling about this year," I told my corporal.

"Tch." That was the only response Levi gave before turning on his heel and walking away. I smiled at his back and quickly ran to catch up with him. I didn't say anymore. I knew that that was Levi's way of agreeing with me.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you liked it, FOLLOW, FAVORITE, and REVIEW!**

**_Preview for Next Chapter:_**

_"You bitch!"_

_"Commander Erwin~! Levi called me a bad word~!"_

* * *

_"I'll make sure to live to see humanity triumph over the Titans! I'll live through it for you and the other brave soldiers who risked their lives for humanity!"_

_"I promise you…" Levi declared. "We'll obliterate the Titans!"_

* * *

_"The wall may have fallen again." I froze at Commander Erwin's words._

_"No…" I whimpered. "No! No! No! No! The cadets are there in Trost! They have their entire lives ahead of them!"_

* * *

_"What the hell are you doing, brats?"_

_"Honestly. It seems that I always have to save you three's hides."_

_There standing in front of them… was Humanity's Strongest Soldier… and Humanity's Bravest Survivor._


End file.
